WHAT TO DO AFTER A HURRICANE DAMAGES YOUR ROOF

Last weekend Hurricane Irma made her way up the Florida peninsula, bringing heavy rain, high wind gusts, power outages, roof damage, and a sense of uneasiness with her. While Tampa Bay was spared the potential catastrophe of what could have been, we know there is still a long road of recovery ahead of us. The team at Handyman Roofing sincerely hope that you and your loved ones were able to stay safe throughout Hurricane Irma and continue to do so as you work on cleaning up and repairing any damage inside and outside your home.

Our Tampa Bay roofing company is standing by and ready to assist with Hurricane Irma roof repairs and replacements. After a hurricane, it may be obvious that roofing material is lost or a fallen tree has left its mark, but not all roof damage is quick to diagnose. Roofs can leak even if all the roof covering is in place because leaks, especially in heavy or rains of extended duration, can and frequently do occur around, over, and under flashings. These sorts of leaks are difficult to detect.

When assessing your hurricane roof damage, please be careful. Do not attempt to climb on the roof, as the roof may have weakened in the storm causing a dangerous situation. Evaluate the damage from ground level and call in a roofing professional to assess the roof’s structure.

Remember to document damage and take photos. As the damage is hurricane related, your insurance agent will need to assess the situation and determine if you can make a claim.

Windstorm damage is covered under standard homeowners’ policies, both for private homes and privately owned apartments, and under renters’ policies for damage to personal belongings. But there may be significant differences in deductibles and policy parameters may vary when it comes to the storm’s severity. In Florida, you may pay more – up to a 15 percent deductible – depending on your proximity to the coast.

Any rain damage to the interior and your furnishings that occurs because of a hole blown in your building will also be covered, but not if the water is rising from the ground in a flooding situation.

At Handyman Roofing we have been doing hurricane roof repairs and roof replacements since 1978 in Florida. We’ve helped thousands of families in their hurricane recoveries over the years and are happy to assist with yours. We are state licensed and insured. Contact us today.